


Diana

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: AU, Gen, Heartache, Hiding, Minor Character Death, No Ships (Unless maybe you squint), Sad, Support, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 08:47:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13291326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks





	Diana

He and Jack were living permanently in South Carolina. Not too far, but far enough that he used it as an excuse to be a crappy friend. Aaron had known for a decade or more about Diana Reid, since that case when hell and handbaskets started to be regular parts of their lives, and he’d always admired the man Spencer had succeeded in becoming because, and perhaps in spite, of the mother Diana had been. She had always been a woman he never wanted to have to tell her only son was dead, because it wouldn’t have been a job he would have pawned off onto someone else. Spencer had always been his responsibility, personal notification to his mother would have been the least he could do.

She terrified him, but not because of her disease. Aaron had worked with and around schizophrenics most of his career and, as a general rule, they were only harmful to themselves, unless provoked otherwise, and to other people generally as fallout of unintentional behavior. No, Diana had terrified Aaron because he couldn’t ever remember meeting a woman, a mother, so certain that her son was _good_ and so willing to go to the ends of the earth to protect that goodness. It was different than a mother simply proclaiming her child’s innocence, he saw plenty of that. Diana was a protector. She protected Spencer by skipping the very medication she needed simply to bring him into the world. She protected him by voicing her concerns over a preferential offender who had killed already and then went on to protect the man who, ultimately, permanently protected her son from the same man.

Spencer had filled a drive back from a prison interview once with facts about mammals with the strongest maternal drive, the ones most likely to kill to protect their babies. Aaron had finally asked him where humans fit into that and the younger man had grown quiet. Between them, they both could speak for the effects of a parent killing, or at least being aware of the killing, to protect offspring. It had been a bizarre bonding experience, but most of their moments had been that.

When Aaron had met Spencer, he couldn’t imagine a team that included the boy who needed guided and assisted through everything, but Aaron’s own paternal drive had kicked in and he’d refused to allow him to flounder. If Spencer Reid was going to fail, he wasn’t going to be involved in helping him down. Instead, he spent time with the younger man and, over the years, had had the pleasure of watching him come into his own.

The night Aaron had packed his office to leave under the watchful eye of a man sent to guard him, he couldn’t imagine his life without Spencer there.

In an attempt to distance himself and ease the pain, Aaron had hidden away and refused to even watch the news. No knowledge of the team, it was too painful. He hurt, and he hurt because he knew he’d hurt all of them. It was for the best.

==

When Dave called, Aaron knew it had to be important. Dave had never instigated any communication. The message made Aaron’s heart break.

Having taken on the paternal role in much of Spencer’s life, he’d helped to guide him through every life event. He’d thought they’d covered every possibility. They’d never once discussed the eventual day when Diana Reid would die.

It didn’t matter what Aaron had taught him in the past, he felt as if he’d failed the younger man.

His first instinct was to keep on hiding, surely Dave wouldn’t wound the younger man more by sharing that he’d called unless he knew for certain Aaron would turn up. But then he realized that hiding would simply cause the problem to grow. Spencer wasn’t likely to open up to anyone else, always wanting to be strong and… stoic. And that was Aaron’s own fault.

He wasn’t aware he was even going to the wake until he was parked out front of Dave’s house, just staring. The team was in there, all the people he had walked away from plus their loved ones and he tried to imagine Spencer, chin up and jaw set, as he tried to show them how strong he could be. Just like Hotch.

Aaron’s chest ached at the image.

Thirty minutes went by before he finally headed for the door, surprised when Dave met him there.

“I was waiting for you.” Dave answered his unasked question quietly. “Everyone is in the living room. Spencer is in the kitchen now I think.”

“How is he?”

Dave eyed his friend. “He says he’s fine.” He pushed the door shut softly. “Wonder where he learned that word.”

Aaron nodded. There wasn’t anything to say to that, he didn’t disagree. Making his way through the house, he waved in silent greeting to the others as he headed for the kitchen doorway. He quietly stepped into the kitchen and stood carefully against the wall. It was the one room in the house currently not occupied by groups of their family and friends. The sole other occupant of the room wandered distractedly, staring at the buffet of provided dishes for everyone to eat. He waited until the man wandered his way before reaching out with both hands and drawing him in gently. “Spencer. I'm here.” He whispered.

Reid made a token attempt to pull back and then his face crumpled and he allowed Aaron to pull him close. When strong arms wrapped around him tight, the dam broke.

He felt Spencer sag as the sobs wracked his thin frame. He did his best to hold the younger man’s weight before giving in and carefully sliding down the corner of the wall and cabinet, legs outstretched.  Aaron was certain this was the first time Reid had truly cried over his mother's death. All of the feelings Aaron had been denying about how everything had ended, about not being there when he should have, not teaching Spencer those things he’d missed, they finally bubbled to the surface and tracked down his cheeks as silent tears.

All JJ could see from her spot on the couch were two pairs of legs on the kitchen floor. Getting up to investigate, she stopped when she saw Hotch pinned sitting in the corner on the floor with Reid curled in his lap. The scene was heartbreaking. Spencer had been through so much recently and while she wanted to be angry at Hotch for not being present, she could see his was in pain as well. It was clear that both men had finally reached their breaking points. Turning back to the others in the living room, she quietly suggested perhaps they all sit outside for a bit to give them some privacy.

==

The house was totally silent, no murmured conversations from the next room, when Spencer finally looked up and spoke. “I thought… I thought maybe you wouldn’t come.”

“I…” He decided to be honest. “I wasn’t going to.”

“So why did you?”

“Because I think… I think I needed to be here for you as much as maybe you needed me here.”

“I’ve been trying to be strong, like you would be. But it hurts so much.” His face crumpled again.

Aaron opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Instead, he simply pulled the younger man to his chest and held him tight. “I won’t ever leave you again.”


End file.
